Does Guy Ritchie Want Daniel Day Lewis To Play Professor Moriarty?

It's all but a given that Professor James Moriarty will play a greater role in the upcoming sequel to Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes. By the end of the first film (sorry for spoilers), it's revealed that it was Moriarty who employed Irene Adler and has made off with a component from Lord Blackwood's machine. Because Ritchie worked with him previously on Snatch, it has been long rumored that Brad Pitt would be the man to play the role, going back weeks before the first film was released. While it's hard not to get behind the idea of Robert Downey Jr. vs. Brad Pitt, Ritchie is setting his sights a bit further up the prestige scale.

Superhero Hype is reporting a rumor that Ritchie is seeking out Daniel Day Lewis to play one of the greatest literary villains in history in Moriarty. The story coming from "unconfirmed sources," the film would hardly be Lewis' first villainous role, having done so previously to critical acclaim in both There Will Be Blood and Gangs of New York. While the film is already set for a December 16, 2011 release date, Ritchie has yet to complete the script. Other names that are being considered are Sean Penn, Gary Oldman, and Javier Bardem.

I'll just come out and say it: Daniel Day Lewis as Professor Moriarty is as close to perfect casting that you will ever see. Do I think that he will take the part? No chance in hell. In Lewis, we are talking about an actor who has done only 18 films since he began working in 1982, has been nominated for an Oscar four times, and has won twice. This is a man who picks all of his roles carefully, and while he hasn't always chosen well (ex. Nine), you most likely will never see him do a superhero movie or a big budget comedy. That said, however, now would be a good time to start crossing your fingers.